Tuesday, 11 March 2014

ESFP - The Performer

The next stop on our tour brings us to ESFP, the archetypical extrovert personality type: the Performer.

One word to describe the performer is bold (apologies for the slight pun). As an S type, the Performer seeks sensory experience, willing to try at least anything once and finding great joy in immersing themselves in extreme sensory activity. As all people, they have their comfort zone, but the ESFP is more willing than most to leap over this boundary. They are creative at heart, constantly striving for originality and hating the thought of conformity. This bestows them with a keen artistic sense. Socially, they are excellent, able to converse with others and connect with new people without difficulty. With such interest in sensation, ESFPs are often more practically minded, only caring for theory which has concrete results. Abstract topics and speculation are of little interest to the Performer. Often feeling great emotions, ESFPs have earnt their title through their innate ability to channel their feelings into evocative acts of expression, often as story tellers, more through drama than through written word. This personality type depends on other people for a sense of well-being, making them vulnerable to criticism. Therefore, some ESFPs despise conflict. With such a wide array of experiences to discover, Performers often lack focus and additionally find it difficult to plan in advance, archetypical of P types.

For this type we have: Lucifer, Jaime, Jack, Hook, Yoona-939 and Varric

Lucifer

Supernatural is perhaps one of the few series in which I can legitimately be talking about the Devil as a character for analysis. As one of the oldest Archangels, it may be difficult to discuss him in terms of mere human psychometrics. But, we shall try.

Well, the first thing to say about Lucifer is that he is a very emotional being. He feels very strongly, though he shows it very rarely, instead channelling it into his captivating performance. Undeniably charismatic, Lucifer is good with people, able to get under their skin and manipulate them with their wants and desires, he is observant. He is, afterall, the Devil. Fundamentally, Lucifer is a sensitive character, driven by his inability to accept his family situation and his vulnerability is no more acutely exposed in his reaction to Gabriel's taunting. Despite his reputation and ominous presence, he is hardly an excellent planner, for his army of demons, all seeking to further the apocalypse, were unable to really make that much progress when it comes to actualising the end of days.

Jaime

A very witty individual, Jaime Lannister is certainly socially adept, able to read and adapt to most situations (though one prominent failure did cost him his hand). He is bold and outspoken in certain situations, willing to banter with Ned Stark and his siblings, though unwilling to challenge his father or others who have evident authority. Jaime is a practical man, often mocking emotions, which he sees as being feminine and inappropriate in a man's world. (Not something I endorse). Jaime is sensitive to the opinions of those he loves, notably Cersei and has shown himself unwilling to enter into conflict with her. On the whole, however, Jaime lives for conflict in the physical, warrior sense, whilst avoiding any kind of emotional confrontation. He often acts on instinct and impulse and has displayed little ability to plan ahead.

Jack

Here we have a character who is at once very hardcore and yet extremely sensitive. If scorned, she certainly feels it, though she translates any kind of sadness or regret into anger, attempting to come across as aloof when inside she is very hurt by the wounds others have inflicted upon her. This impulsive behaviour makes her a very poor planner, fixing her firmly in the P category. She tries to push any feeling she might experience away and act in a strictly practical way and though she can certainly be described as pragmatic, she cannot be described as a T type, for her emotions run too deep. Jack displays the aesthetic sensitivity and desire for expression which are consumate to the Performer, literally transforming her body into a work of art with each individual tattoo holding great significance.

Hook

Originally, Hook was driven by the bold nature intrinsic to an ESFP. He sailed the seas, crossing into different realms, living for adventure and new experiences, lapping up all he could. When he fell for the wife of Rumplestiltskin, he displayed passion and adoration, betraying his depth of emotion, this turning to rage at her death. In his revenge, he has tapped into the inherent pragmatism of this personality type, using unconventional methods to reach his goals, ever the creative. Socially, he is suave and observant, able to read other people with the success of a salesman and even showing himself capable of manipulating them. He is, however, more sensitive to the words and deeds of others than he is willing to let on.

Yoona-939

Fundamentally driven by her desire to be liberated from the diner and to experience the life of the consumers, Yoona is as bold and creative as any other Performer. In her manipulation of Seer Rhee, she has displayed an ability to understand the desires and emotions of others as well as manipulate them to her own advantage, making her a pragmatic individual. Whilst she has shown a proficiently for caution and planning, Yoona's need for new experiences was too great and she was unable to temper her impulsive nature, resulting in her death.

Varric

Creativity and entrepreneurship are central to Varric, for he is driven by his desire for gold in part, but his desire for a fulfilling life, filled with stories for the most part. He is impulsive, though able to temper himself when the situation requires. Practically minded, he is able to assist Hawke in amassing to funds for the Deep Roads expedition and his observant nature is revealed in the deep insights he provides into the other characters. He is certainly sensitive and avoids conflict, for should Hawke chose to insult him, he rarely fights back, though certainly feels the sting of his friend's words.

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Currently a doctoral researcher in Philosophy at the University of East Anglia (UEA). The focus of my research is into notions of identity, bringing be to questions of personhood, selfhood and political embeddedness. The main thinkers featuring within my academic work are Hegel, Arendt, and Butler, among others.